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☆ Haley will vote for the Trump ‘chaos’ that she once decried
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Before losing her home state’s primary to Trump earlier this year, Haley lashed out at Republicans who backed Trump despite privately despairing over him. They’re just too afraid to say it out loud.”Now Haley is saying out loud she’s voting for Trump. Haley seeks to preserve her futureThere is every sign that Haley wants to run again for president once Trump finally leaves the stage. Trump has made no effort to appeal to Haley voters during the march to the nomination despite his dire need to court suburban voters. “Rightly or wrongly, chaos follows (Trump),” Haley complained at almost every event.

Persons: Nikki Haley, Donald Trump, ”, couldn’t, Joe Biden, “, ” Haley, Haley, Trump, Biden, —, They’re, Ted Cruz, CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, I’m, Cruz, There’s, Liz Cheney, repudiating, John Bolton, ” Bolton, CNN’s Wolf, Haley –, Ron DeSantis, “ There’s, they’d, Ronald Reagan’s, Bush, Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong Un, “ Trump, CNN’s Jake Tapper, Tapper, Putin Organizations: CNN, South, Trump, United Nations, president’s, Harvard Law School, Democrats, Wyoming, GOP, Vermont, Florida Gov, Republicans, Hudson Institute, Republican, freeloading, NATO, Hampshire Locations: South Carolina, Texas, Washington, Florida, Iowa, Georgia, New Hampshire, Russian, North Korean, Europe, Asia, United States, Columbia , South Carolina

☆ Russia Detains Another Defense Official, in New Sign of Putin Shake-Up
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Anton Troianovski | More About Anton Troianovski | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Russia has jailed a top defense official, the fourth in a month, state media reported on Thursday, expanding President Vladimir V. Putin’s biggest shake-up of his military leadership since the invasion of Ukraine more than two years ago. A Moscow military court ordered Lt. Gen. Vadim Shamarin jailed for two months on Wednesday on suspicion of “large-scale” bribery, state news agencies said. General Shamarin was a deputy head of the Russian military’s main commanding body, the general staff, and oversaw its communications directorate. Image A photograph of General Shamarin, released by the Russian Defense Ministry. Credit... Russian Defense Ministry Press Service, via Associated PressThe detention of General Shamarin is the latest in a series of high-profile arrests that have coincided with Mr. Putin’s appointment of a new defense minister, Andrei R. Belousov, earlier this month.

Persons: Vladimir V, Vadim Shamarin, General Shamarin, Shamarin, Putin’s, Andrei R Organizations: Russian Defense Ministry . Credit, Russian Defense Ministry Press Service, Associated, Mr Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, Russian

☆ Putin has 'both eyes' on a strategic island belonging to new NATO member Sweden, army commander says
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Mia Jankowicz | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewRussian President Vladimir Putin is targeting a strategic Swedish island that offers mastery over the Baltic Sea, the commander-in-chief of Sweden's army warned this week. Putin's goal is to gain control of the Baltic Sea," Micael Bydén told German news outlets, according to Politico's translation of his remarks. Sweden joined NATO in early March, and the alliance is now the dominant force in the Baltic Sea, thanks in large part to its control of Gotland. Advertisement"If Russia takes control and seals off the Baltic Sea, it would have an enormous impact on our lives — in Sweden and all other countries bordering the Baltic Sea," Bydén said. Swedish military officials watch a Swedish C-130H take off from a non-traditional runway on Gotland Island on October 23, 2021.

Persons: —, Vladimir Putin, Putin, Micael Bydén, Bydén, Patrik Orcutt, Ulf Kristersson Organizations: Service, Business, NATO, Nordic, Russia's Ministry of Defence, Moscow Times, US Army, Politico, Sweden's, Financial Times, Gotland Regiment, US Locations: Swedish, Baltic, Gotland, Putin's, Sweden, Russian, Kaliningrad, It's, Rhode, Russia, Bydén, Moscow, Lithuania, Finland, Latvia, Ukraine

☆ Russian media cited fake rumors of a Mossad agent named 'Eli Copter' being involved in the helicopter crash that killed Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewAn online joke about Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi being killed in a helicopter crash by a Mossad agent named "Eli Copter" has fooled several media outlets — including Russian state TV host Vladimir Solovyov. Raisi, 63, died on Sunday in a helicopter crash alongside several senior officials in northwest Iran, with state media saying the vehicle struck a mountainside. An Israeli official said Tel Aviv was not involved in the crash, which Solovyov challenged. AF - The IDF Mourns The Loss Of Their Undercover Agent, Eli Copter pic.twitter.com/G0tok0TFyV — Associated Fress (@AssociatedFress) May 19, 2024Several people reporting about Raisi's death seemed to have missed the joke. Haik later quoted the Hamas message on i24, saying that the involvement of "Eli Copter" was a rumor that couldn't yet be confirmed.

Persons: —, Ebrahim Raisi, Eli Copter, Vladimir Solovyov, Solovyov, Daniel Haik, Eli Copter pic.twitter.com, Haik Organizations: Service, Business, Tel, Russia Media Monitor, IDF, Hamas, Telegram, i24 France, Kremlin, West, Washington, Observatory, MIT Media Lab, Center for Locations: Iran, Israel, Tel Aviv, Russia, Tehran, Moscow, Ukraine

☆ Why a Prosecutor Went Public With Arrest Warrant Requests for Hamas and Israeli Leaders
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Amanda Taub | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The decision of Karim Khan, the International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor, to publicly seek arrest warrants for the leaders of Hamas and Israel this week will be one of the most significant and contentious of his career. Khan accused three Hamas leaders of war crimes and crimes against humanity relating to the Oct. 7 attack on Israel and hostage taking. He also accused Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and its defense minister, Yoav Gallant, of war crimes and crimes against humanity during Israel’s military operation in Gaza, including the starvation of civilians. Khan didn’t have to announce the warrant applications publicly. He could have waited until they were granted, as with the warrant for President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia last year — a process that can take weeks or months.

Persons: Karim Khan, Court’s, Khan, Israel’s, Benjamin Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant, —, Khan didn’t, Vladimir V, Putin Locations: Israel, Gaza, United States, Russia

☆ Trump removes video referencing ‘unified Reich,’ but his Nazi allusions are long-standing
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Donald Trump dabbles in Nazi allusions too often for it to be a coincidence. But the term “Reich,” which means a kind of empire, is also synonymous with the later Third Reich of Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Germany. Some of Trump’s rhetoric suggests an ignorance of history and his own self-obsession. Some of Trump’s rhetoric seems designed to get a rise from his opponents and the media. And as extreme as a second Trump term might be, the Nazi Germany comparison feels extreme.

Persons: Donald Trump dabbles, Reich, Adolf Hitler’s, Trump, Joe Biden, Hitler, Mein, hasn’t, Donald Trump’s, Donald J, Trump Trump, John Kelly, CNN’s Jim Sciutto, Powers, ” Kelly, “, ’, ” Sciutto, Kelly, Steven Cheung, John Bolton, He’s, Biden, ”, Viktor Orbán, Vladimir Putin’s Organizations: CNN, GOP, Trump, Truth, White House, Nazi, Baby Boomers Locations: Adolf Hitler’s Nazi Germany, Gestapo, United States, Charlottesville , Virginia, Boston, Nazi Germany, Hungarian, Russian, Ukraine, Israel, Gaza, Eastern Europe, Nazi, Normandy

☆ Netanyahu denies Israel is starving civilians in Gaza as a method of war
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Tara John | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

Israel has allowed 20,000 trucks of aid into Gaza, Netanyahu said – a fraction of what would have entered in the same period under normal times. Israel’s ongoing siege of Gaza, following Hamas’ October 7 terror attacks, has reached its seventh month and left more than 34,000 people dead. Netanyahu is deeply unpopular in Israel, where he is also facing an ongoing corruption trial. Speaking to Tapper, Netanyahu rejected accusations that he avoids Israeli media in favor of international press, saying he has done up to 20 press conferences with Israeli journalists. An ICC warrant would compel more than 100 member-nations of the court to arrest Netanyahu if he traveled in their territory.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, CNN’s Jake Tapper, Karim Khan, – Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant –, Khan, Netanyahu, Gallant, Tapper, –, ’, ”, Critics, “ That’s, “, Khan’s, Joe Biden, ” Biden, Antony Blinken, Biden, Franklin Roosevelt, Adolf Hitler, CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, Israel, Vladimir, Putin, ” Khan Organizations: CNN, Israeli, Criminal Court, ICC, Israel’s, Gaza, West Bank, Amnesty, Hamas Locations: Gaza, Israel, United States, East Jerusalem, France, Africa

☆ Iran President Raisi: Days of funeral ceremonies begin as investigators probe helicopter crash
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Jessie Yeung | Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —Funeral ceremonies are set to begin on Tuesday for the late Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi following his death in a helicopter crash, as authorities probe what caused the aircraft to smash into the side of a remote mountainside during foggy weather on Sunday morning. A helicopter carrying Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi takes off on May 19, 2024, before the crash took place. There is no indication what might have caused the crash – and why so many senior Iranian government officials were traveling in a single, decades-old helicopter. A high-ranking delegation will go to the crash site in Eastern Azerbaijan, according to Iran’s Tasnim news agency. Inside Iran, where many of the country’s restive youth population have grown tired of rule by conservative clerics, Raisi had a much more polarizing legacy.

Persons: Ebrahim Raisi, Ayatollah Khamenei, Mohsen Mansouri, Ali Hamed Haghdoust, Mansouri, Reza, Khamenei, “, ”, Abdulkadir Uraloglu, Uraloglu, Iran’s, ’, Ayatollah Khamenei —, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Kim Jong, Kim, Xi, Raisi’s, Azin, ” Xi, Putin, Russia, ” Raisi, Raisi Organizations: CNN, Wana News Agency, Reuters, Mehr, Iranian, Turkish Transportation, Infrastructure, TRT, Moj News Agency, AP, Kremlin, US Locations: Tabriz, Iran, Qom, Tehran, Mashhad, Turkey, Turkish, Eastern Azerbaijan, Israel, Korean, Saudi Arabia, Ukraine, China, North Korea, Russia, Iranian

☆ Russia Starts Tactical Nuclear Drills, in a Warning to Ukraine’s Allies
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Paul Sonne | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Russia sent a pointed reminder on Tuesday that it could use battlefield nuclear weapons in Ukraine, releasing video of its forces beginning exercises to practice their use, two weeks after President Vladimir V. Putin ordered the provocative drills. Video released by the Russian Defense Ministry showed a caravan of military vehicles moving down a wooded road, as well as mobile Iskander missile systems — which can deliver conventional or nuclear explosives — getting into position to launch, with their warheads blurred out. The footage also showed a supersonic strategic bomber armed with missiles and an attack aircraft being prepared for takeoff. In a statement, the Russian Defense Ministry said the exercise, carried out near Ukraine, was aimed at preparing the force for the possibility of using tactical nuclear weapons. The goal is to “unconditionally ensure the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Russian state in response to provocative statements and threats of individual Western officials,” the ministry said.

Persons: Vladimir V, Putin, “, Emmanuel Macron, David Cameron, Britain’s Organizations: Russian Defense Ministry, Kremlin Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Russian, France

☆ Russian Forces Close In on Ukrainian Town in Northeast
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Constant Méheut | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Russian forces on Tuesday inched closer to the central part of Vovchansk, a town in Ukraine’s northeast that they have been attacking for the past 10 days as part of a new offensive in the region. Roman Semenukha, the deputy head of the military administration in the northeastern Kharkiv region, said on television on Monday that Ukrainian forces had lost about 40 percent of the town, with Russian troops pushing from the north. Open-source maps of the battlefield compiled by independent groups also show that Russia now controls the northern part of the town, which had a prewar population of 17,000. Vovchansk, which lies just five miles from the Russian border, has been a prime target of Moscow’s new offensive. Both U.S. officials and President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia have said the offensive is part of an effort to establish a buffer zone.

Persons: Roman Semenukha, Vladimir V, Putin Organizations: U.S Locations: Vovchansk, Ukraine’s, Roman, Kharkiv, Russia, Russian

The “Code 9.2” drone unit, from the 92nd assault brigade, are moving into a new launch position from where they are about to conduct a rare and potent mission: flying drones into Russia and dropping mines onto key roads inside enemy territory. It is only when the dark has set in that their work can begin. Before operators Andrey and Artem can leave the bunker to begin work, a noise sends them rushing back in for cover. It is only when the dark has set in that the work of Ukrainian drone unit 'Code 9.2' can begin. Artem and Andrey race to attach the mines to the drone, using only red lights.

Persons: Andrey, Artem, “, ” Andrey hisses, ”, Vladimir Putin, Brice Lainé, Ukraine’s, Sasha, Volodymyr Zelensky –, – Organizations: Ukraine CNN, 92nd, CNN Locations: Russian, Kharkiv region, Ukraine, Russia, Belgorod, Kharkiv, Bakhmut, Ukrainian, Donetsk, –, “, Moscow

☆ Bob Menendez: Trump circus overshadows senator’s corruption trial
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Gregory Krieg | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

So it goes for Menendez, who is likely pleased to have his legal drama playing out in relative obscurity. More recently, Fetterman mocked the senator’s defense, which relies in part on pointing the finger of blame on Nadine Menendez, his wife. Republicans in Washington, as they’ve done during these first two weeks of the Menendez trial in New York, have been consistently deferential to the New Jersey Democrat. Rep. Andy Kim, a popular Democrat from South Jersey, is expected to win the nomination to succeed Menendez. Andrew Giuliani, pressed for a thought on the senator’s trial or the allegations against him, shrugged.

Persons: New York CNN — Andrew Giuliani, Donald, ”, Rudy Giuliani squinted, “, ” He’s, Sen, Bob Menendez’s, –, Michael Cohen, Daniels, Menendez, Trump, Donald Trump Jr, Attorney Alvin Bragg, Ronny Jackson, Bob Costello, Pam Bondi, Missouri Sen, Eric Schmitt, Matt Whitaker, Sebastian Gorka, Gov, Dan Patrick, Jackson, María Elvira Salazar, Troy Nehls, Dale Strong, Daniel Webster of, Vladimir Putin’s, Cory Booker, Chuck Schumer, John Fetterman, George Santos, Fetterman, Nadine Menendez, ” Fetterman, Jake Tapper, Mitch McConnell, ” North Dakota Sen, Kevin Cramer, he’s, Andy Kim, Andrew Giuliani, haven’t, ” CNN’s Sabrina Souza Organizations: New, New York CNN, New York, Manhattan Criminal, Court, Republican, Democrat, The New, The New Jersey Democrat, Foreign Relations, Trump, Democratic, Manhattan, Attorney, Texas, Dale Strong of, Pennsylvania Democrat, New York Rep, “, Union, ”, Republicans, New Jersey Democrat, Democrats, GOP, ” North, Politico Locations: New York, Lower Manhattan, Manhattan, The, The New Jersey, Menendez’s, Florida, Sebastian Gorka , Texas, María Elvira Salazar of Florida, Texas, Dale Strong of Alabama, Daniel Webster of Florida, North Korea, Vladimir Putin’s Russia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Washington, Egypt, ”, “ State, Israel, ” North Dakota, South Jersey, New York City

☆ Opinion: The International Criminal Court’s threat to Netanyahu
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-21 | by ( Peter Bergen | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would effectively become a pariah who wouldn't be able to travel to most countries if the International Criminal Court were to approve the arrest warrant. Those 124 countries would be duty-bound to arrest Netanyahu were the court to issue an arrest warrant for him. Already France and Belgium have issued statements in support of the ICC‘s requests for Netanyahu’s arrest warrant. In the United States, there has been predictable pushback against the ICC move to try to issue an arrest warrant against Netanyahu. The ICC’s move to seek an arrest warrant for Netanyahu may only harden his resolve to continue the war in Gaza seemingly indefinitely.

Persons: Peter Bergen, ”, Qatar CNN —, Moammar Gadhafi, Vladimir Putin, Benjamin Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Joan Donoghue, Abir, Karim Khan, CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, Yoav Gallant, Khan, Yahya Sinwar, Israel, Israel’s, Mitch McConnell fulminated, Joe Biden, Putin, Putin “, he’s, Republican Sen, Lindsey Graham of, Facebook I’m Organizations: New, Arizona State University, Apple, Spotify, CNN, Doha, Qatar CNN, Israeli, International, ICC, International Court of Justice, BBC, Getty Images, European Union, Republican, Biden, Street, Twitter, Facebook, Global Security, Hamas, The Times Locations: New America, Qatar, Nuremberg, Gaza, Israel, Africa, United States, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Belgium, Ukraine, Lindsey Graham of South Carolina

☆ Hamas and Israeli leaders may face international arrest warrants. Here’s what that means
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( Nadeen Ebrahim | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

If approved by a panel of judges, the arrest warrants would be issued for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. The decision to seek arrest warrants doesn’t immediately mean the individual is guilty, but is the first stage in a process that could lead to a lengthy trial. The ICC has so far issued arrest warrants against 42 people, 21 of whom have been detained with the help of member states. Signatory states are obliged to apprehend those facing arrest warrants, but leaders have often sought to evade those warrants, restricting their freedom of movement. Video Ad Feedback ICC chief details charges he is seeking against Hamas and Israeli leaders 02:04 - Source: CNNDoes the ICC have jurisdiction over Israeli nationals?

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant, Yahya Sinwar, Ismail Haniyah, Mohammed Diab Ibrahim al, Masri, Mohammed Deif, Netanyahu, doesn’t, ”, Putin, Haniyah, Omar al, Bashir, Saif Gadhafi, Moammar Gadhafi, Vladimir Putin, hasn’t, Karim Khan, “, Khan, Shelly Aviv Yeini, ” Yeini, Muhammad Nazzal, Gallant, Israel Katz, Yair Lapid, Israel “, Sinwar, Itamar Ben Gvir, Bezalel Smotrich, Mike Johnson, CNN’s Jeremy Diamond, Benjamin Brown, Melanie Zanona, Aber Salman, Michael Schwartz Organizations: CNN, Criminal Court, Israeli, ICC, The Hague, International Court of Justice, United Nations, UN, Djibouti –, West Bank, Palestinian Authority, Hamas, Reuters, Foreign, National Security, Hague, Defense Ministry, Republican Locations: Israel, Gaza, Chile, South Africa, Qatar, Rome, The, Netherlands, Russian, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Comoros, Djibouti, Palestinian, East Jerusalem, Palestine, The Hague, Israeli

☆ Elon Musk says the match he had with a sumo wrestler was 'a few minutes of glory' that became '8 years of neck pain'
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Billionaire Elon Musk once fought a sumo wrestler, and says he's still paying the price for it. "Had a few minutes of glory and 8 years of neck pain," Musk wrote on Sunday. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . AdvertisementElon Musk is still talking about that sumo fight he once had, and it sure sounds like battling a trained wrestler did land Musk in a world of hurt. "Had a few minutes of glory and 8 years of neck pain," Musk wrote.

Persons: Elon Musk, he's, Musk, Vladimir Putin, Mark Zuckerberg, — Organizations: Service, SpaceX Locations: Russian

☆ Biden denounces ICC for ‘outrageous’ implication of equivalence between Israel and Hamas
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( Michael Williams | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

The prosecution team is also seeking warrants for Israel’s Defense Minister, Yoav Gallant, along with top Hamas leaders, Khan said. Khan, the ICC prosecutor, batted down criticisms over the tribunal’s efforts to secure the warrants. News that the ICC is seeking warrants for the Israeli leaders sent reverberations of condemnation across the world. Close US allies like Britain said the court’s efforts were “not helpful” in reaching a pause in fighting. Biden administration officials also questioned whether the ICC had the jurisdiction to seek those arrests.

Persons: Washington CNN —, Biden, Karim Khan, CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, Benjamin Netanyahu, Yahya Sinwar, Yoav Gallant, Khan, ”, Biden –, CNN’s Erin Burnett, cajole Netanyahu, Netanyahu, Vladimir Putin, Moammar Gadhafi, Amanpour, Gallant, Antony Blinken, United States “, Mike Johnson, John Kirby, Independent Sen, Bernie Sanders –, Biden’s –, Sanders, ” Sanders, Kirby, “, Putin, ” Kirby, CNN’s Nikki Carvajal, Haley Talbot Organizations: Washington CNN, International, ICC, Israeli, Israel’s Defense, Biden, GOP, National Security, Independent, Mr Locations: Israel, Rafah, Gaza, Russian, Britain, Germany, United States, Ukraine

☆ ICC seeks arrest warrants against Sinwar and Netanyahu for war crimes over October 7 attack and Gaza war
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( Ivana Kottasová | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —The International Criminal Court is seeking arrest warrants for Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity over the October 7 attacks on Israel and the subsequent war in Gaza, the court’s chief prosecutor Karim Khan told CNN’s Christiane Amanpour in an exclusive interview on Monday. The warrants against the Israeli politicians mark the first time the ICC has targeted the top leader of a close ally of the United States. The decision puts Netanyahu in the company of the Russian President Vladimir Putin, for who the ICC issued an arrest warrant over Moscow’s war on Ukraine. A panel of ICC judges will now consider Khan’s application for the arrest warrants. However, the ICC claims to have jurisdiction over Gaza, East Jerusalem and the West Bank after Palestinian leaders formally agreed to be bound by the court’s founding principles in 2015.

Persons: Yahya Sinwar, Benjamin Netanyahu, Karim Khan, CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, Khan, Yoav Gallant, — Mohammed Diab Ibrahim al, Masri, Al, Mohammed Deif, Ismail Haniyeh, Netanyahu, Vladimir Putin, Sinwar, ” Khan, Amanpour, Gallant, “, Israel “, ”, Israel Organizations: CNN, ICC, Israel’s, Brigades, West Bank Locations: Israel, Gaza, United States, Russian, Ukraine, East Jerusalem

☆ Opinion: Hardened like diamonds, these Gen Z protesters fight for a European future
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-20 | by ( Opinion Will Cathcart | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

They snatch protesters from the crowd and drag them back into a mass of black uniforms. Will Cathcart Will CathcartHundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets across Georgia in recent weeks to protest the government’s adoption of a Kremlin-inspired “foreign agents” bill. As with the foreign agents law, the bill’s authors claim it promotes transparency, an absurd notion. The foreign agents bill is a symptom of a deeper issue – money. The pressures of authoritarian intimidation and systematic violence have hardened Georgia’s young protestors like diamonds.

Persons: Will Cathcart, Mikheil Saakashvili, Cathcart Will Cathcart, Vladimir Putin’s, Putin, Hans Gutbrod, ”, Salome Zourabichvili, aren’t, Gen Z, Europe –, Giorgi Arjevanidze, Bidzina Ivanishvili, Party ” –, Mamuka Mdinaradze, Shalva Papuashvili, – “, “, James O’Brien’s, Ivanishvili, Zviad Organizations: CNN, Tbilisi CNN — Riot, Georgian, Ilia State University, European Union, Getty, Global, Party, Georgian Orthodox Church, US, State, Eurasian Affairs, Fletcher School of Law, NATO, Special Forces Exchange Locations: American, Tbilisi, Georgia, Russia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan, Europe, AFP, Georgian, Soviet, Russian, United States, Brussels, Washington, Moscow, EU

☆ The Technocrat Who’s Taking Control of Putin’s War Effort
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-19 | by ( Paul Sonne | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In more than two years of war against Ukraine, President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia has found that the technocrats he assembled to manage the Russian economy have turned out to be his most reliable foot soldiers. The Russian leader has now tapped one of them, Andrei R. Belousov, who has no military experience, to become his next defense minister. Mr. Belousov, however, has been a true believer. His rise shows how Mr. Putin is fully redirecting Russia’s economy toward the war effort and suggests that the Kremlin may grow even more deeply involved in mobilizing industry for the fight. Mr. Putin cast his new defense chief, who joined him on a trip to China in recent days, as a much-needed coordinator for a rapidly changing Russian military industrial complex that is critical to success in the war.

Persons: Vladimir V, Putin, Andrei R, Belousov, Rembrandt, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Carl Jung, Mr Organizations: Ukraine Locations: Russia, China

☆ Opinion: Credibility is the key at Trump trial
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-19 | by ( Richard Galant | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +21 min

The idea that Cohen talked to Trump about Daniels on that call “was a lie,” Blanche alleged. Moreover, my experience has been that juries don’t decide based upon one moment — they base their judgment on an overall view.”There were allegedly three parties aware of the scheme to conceal the real reason Trump paid Cohen more than $400,000 in supposed legal fees: Trump, Cohen and Allen Weisselberg, then-chief financial officer of the Trump Organization. “Weisselberg could be the linchpin to validate Cohen’s claims about Trump agreeing to reimburse him through Trump Organization, as a business expense,” wrote attorney Stacy Schneider. Trump seems to be tempted to go mano a mano and show that he is better fit to be commander-in-chief. The new requirement for GOP politicians wanting to demonstrate their loyalty to Trump seems to be visiting the Manhattan courthouse where he’s on trial.

Persons: CNN —, ” Mark Twain, “, Twain, ” Michael Cohen, Donald Trump, —, Trump, Stormy Daniels, Todd Blanche, Cohen, Norm Eisen, Blanche, ”, pummeled Cohen, Robert Mueller, Nick Anderson, Agency Cohen, Keith Schiller, Daniels, ” Blanche, ” Eisen, don’t, Allen Weisselberg, Stacy Schneider, Weisselberg, David Zurawik, “ I’ve, Sen, Robert Menendez, He’s, George Santos ., CNN “ It’s, he’s, ‘, Henry Cuellar, ” Cupp, Drew Sheneman, Georgia —, Vladimir Putin’s, Frida Ghitis, ” Ghitis, Joe Biden’s, ” Dana Summers, “ Biden, ” Julian Zelizer, mano, Biden, ” Bill Bramhall, Stephanie Griffith, Howard Tucker, Gayle Fleming, Michael Ventura Gayle Fleming, Biden —, ” Tom Brady’s, Kara Alaimo, Tom Brady “, Kevin Hart, Gisele Bündchen, Brady, Benjamin, Vivian, ’ Brady, ’, Alaimo, Brady didn’t, Nafees Syed, Kamel El Hilali, Andrew Borene, freakout Scott Stantis, Jeff Yang, … ” Brown, Keith Magee, Brown, backpedaling, Forget, Doug Burgum, Scott Jennings, Burgum’s, Bill Bramhall, Content Agency Clarence Thomas Washington, Clarence Thomas ’, Dean Obeidallah, Thomas, Harlan Crow, ” Clay Jones, John Oliver’s, Steve Vladeck, “ Thomas, ” Don’t, Clayton Swope, Dan Perry, Netanyahu, Jill Filipovic, Miss Teen USA Mary Ziegler, Bob Kolasky, Megan L, Ranney, Karen Tang, Halle Berry, Naomi Watts, Jonathan Yeo, King Charles III, Aaron Chown, Holly Thomas, King Organizations: CNN, Trump, Tribune, Agency, Trump Organization, Twitter, Facebook, DC, Robert Menendez of New, GOP, ” Texas, White, Europe, Russia, Kyiv, Biden, ABC, Democratic Party, Netflix, Garden State, Content Agency, Capitol, Consumer Financial, Board, Fifth Circuit, ICC, Miss USA, Miss Teen USA, Buckingham Palace, Royal Locations: New York, Robert Menendez of, Robert Menendez of New Jersey, Russian, Ukraine, Slovakia, Georgia, Soviet Republic, United States, Cleveland, “, Manhattan, North, . North Dakota, ” That’s, Louisiana , Mississippi, Texas, Florida’s, Buckingham

☆ Manchester City win Premier League: Foden unstoppable, Arsenal’s progress, admirable Everton – The Briefing
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-19 | by ( Sam Lee | James Mcnicholas | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +13 min

Manchester City are the 2023-24 Premier League champions — the first time in 135 years of top-flight football that a club has won the English league title four seasons in a row. At 15:59, the situation was simple: Arsenal needed to win, and required City to drop points against West Ham. After West Ham pulled one back, and Arsenal levelled at Everton, it was extremely nervy at the Etihad until Rodri made it 3-1. (Catherine Ivill – AMA/Getty Images)Another City goal pierced the atmosphere in the second half, until the late match winner supplied by Kai Havertz. Rodri’s game-sealing curled finish had shades of his winner against Inter in the Champions League final.

Persons: Phil Foden, Foden, West Ham’s Mohammed Kudus, Rodri, Kai Havertz, Mikel Arteta’s, Frank Lampard’s, Robbie Jay Barratt –, West Ham, Sam Lee, Declan Rice, Idrissa, ricochet, Tomiyasu’s, bedlam, Catherine Ivill –, Amy Lawrence, Sean, Dominic Calvert, Lewin, Dyche, Adrian Dennis, Michael Cox, David Moyes ’, Pep, Alphonse Areola’s, Erling Haaland’s, Josko, Kevin De Bruyne, Jeremy Doku, Bernardo Silva, Martin Rickett, Moyes, Ham, Vladimir Coufal’s, Kudus, Ahmed Walid, ”, Bernardo Silva’s, Christian Eriksen, Liam Tharme, Goliath, Arsenal’s David, you’ve, Naomi Baker, Guardiola, Sam Lee Farewell Thomas Partey, Thomas Partey, Partey, Arteta, Jorginho, Partey’s, James McNicholas, Amy Lawrence Amy Lawrence Organizations: Manchester City, Premier League, —, Arsenal, West, City, Aston Villa, Liverpool, Emirates, Everton, Arsenal —, League, Etihad, Football, Manchester City’s, Getty, West Ham United, West Ham, Inter, Champions League, The Emirates Locations: West Ham, West, Kai, City, AFP, Manchester

☆ Russia is finally getting serious about its war, and it spells trouble for Ukraine
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-18 | by ( Jake Epstein | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +12 min

Much of the war in Ukraine has gone poorly for Russia. But Russian President Vladimir Putin's war machine looks very different today than it did at the start of the conflict. The Russian military continued to suffer from other problems in the first year of fighting, racking up troop and equipment losses while failing to capture significant amounts of Ukrainian territory. AdvertisementThe following month, a top US official and general said, respectively, that the Russian military was "almost completely reconstituted" and had "grown back" to its pre-war strength. The employment of glide bombs to support ground maneuver is the primary example of how Russia's military is successfully learning from its past shortcomings, Barros said.

Persons: —, Vladimir Putin's, Putin, Vladimir Putin, Miguel Diaz, Canel, Maxim Shemetov, George Barros, Russia's, Stringer, They've, Chris Cavoli, Andrei Belousov —, Sergei Shoigu, Barros, It's, Andrei Belousov, VYACHESLAV PROKOFYEV, Oleksandra Novosel, Biden, Sergey Pivovarov, Mick Ryan, Jack Watling Organizations: Service, Business, Cuban, Institute for, Ukraine, REUTERS, Allied, US European Command, Sputnik, Security, Defense, Getty, JSC, UA, PBC, 42nd Separate Mechanized Brigade, Russian, Kharkiv, Royal United Services Institute Locations: Russia, Moscow, Ukraine, Ukraine —, —, Russian, Kharkiv, Kherson, Robotyne, Ukraine's Zaporizhzhia, Soviet, Shevchenkivskyi, Avdiivka, Washington, Russia's Rostov, Australian, Kyiv

☆ Xi’s Warm Embrace of Putin in China Is a Defiance of the West
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-18 | by ( David Pierson | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Days after returning from a trip to Europe where he was lectured about the need to rein in Russia, China’s leader, Xi Jinping, used a summit with President Vladimir V. Putin to convey an uncomfortable reality to the West: His support for Mr. Putin remains steadfast. Mr. Xi’s talks with Mr. Putin this week were a show of solidarity between two autocrats battling Western pressure. The two leaders put out a lengthy statement that denounced what they saw as American interference and bullying and laid out their alignment on China’s claim to self-ruled Taiwan and Russia’s “legitimate security interests” in Ukraine. They pledged to expand economic and military ties, highlighted by Mr. Putin’s visit to a cutting-edge Chinese institute for defense research. Mr. Xi even initiated a cheek-to-cheek hug as he bade Mr. Putin farewell on Thursday after an evening stroll in the Chinese Communist Party leadership compound in Beijing.

Persons: Xi Jinping, Vladimir V, Putin, Xi’s, Mr, Russia’s, Putin’s, Xi Organizations: West, Chinese Communist Party Locations: Europe, Russia, Taiwan, Ukraine, Beijing

CNN —Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said he wants to work with countries like China with “influence on Russia” as his country faces a renewed Moscow offensive, urging Beijing to attend peace talks next month. Ahead of expected peace talks in Switzerland next month, Xi has called for negotiations that take both sides’ positions into account. Engaging global players like China is crucial because “they have influence on Russia, and the more such countries we have on our side… the more Russia will have to move and [more countries] to reckon with,” Zelensky said. Zelensky said he would like to see China at the international talks in Switzerland next month, aimed at paving the way for a peace process in Ukraine. Russia has not been represented at any of the four rounds of closed-door international peace talks that have taken place so far, and will not be at this one.

Persons: Volodymyr Zelensky, Russia ”, Zelensky, Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin’s, Russia’s, Xi, ” Zelensky, Viola Amherd, Vladimir Putin, Sergei Bobylov, Switzerland Wang Shihting, Emmanuel Macron, Emmanuel Organizations: CNN, Beijing, AFP, Reuters, of, Getty, French Locations: China, Russia, Moscow, Beijing, Switzerland, Zelensky, Ukraine, Tiananmen, Saudi Arabia, Europe, Paris

☆ Ukraine Reports No Shortages of Artillery Shells for First Time: Zelenskyy
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-18 | by ( Rebecca Rommen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewUkrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said earlier this week that Ukraine's forces had reported no shortages of artillery shells for the first time since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022, the Kyiv Independent reported. "For the first time during the war, none of the brigades complained that there were no artillery shells," Zelenskyy said on May 16. Diego Herrera Carcedo/Anadolu Agency via Getty ImagesUkraine's armed forces have faced severe artillery shortages in recent months, partly due to a US military aid package being stalled in Congress. Despite this, Russian artillery will likely outmatch Ukraine's for most of 2024, officials and analysts told Foreign Policy. He added that he expected Ukrainian forces would "hold the line" near Kharkiv City.

Persons: —, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Zelenskyy, milblogger Stanislav Osman, Diego Herrera Carcedo, Rustem Umerov, Petr Pavel, Vladimir Putin, Christopher Cavoli Organizations: Service, Kyiv Independent, Business, Kyiv Post, Army, Anadolu Agency, Getty, EU, BBC News, Policy, CNN, for Locations: Russia, Kyiv, Kharkiv, Ukraine's, Ukraine, Ukrainian, Donetsk Oblast, Avdiivka, Donetsk, Czech Republic, Russian, Kharkiv City

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